'We will rain hell' if war intensifies - Iran's warning; 'We are ready,' says Trump

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that Tehran will "rain hell" if the United States resumes strikes. He issued what he called a final warning to Washington aimed at ending the eight-month war between the two countries.

In a post on X on Sunday, he wrote: "Our two-day-old proposal stands: meet the conditions including ending the war on all fronts; see the benefit. Or choose war; watch our soldiers, alert and battle-hardened, rain hell."

Taking part in a telephone interview on Sunday, President Donald Trump said another strike would be "very rare" if talks on Iran's nuclear programme and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz make progress. At the same time, he warned that three aircraft carriers in the region are "fully ready" and strikes will continue if needed.

Araghchi's remarks came after Iranian state media reported on Sunday morning that an oil tanker caught fire after hitting a naval mine east of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's navy said the vessel's identification systems were switched off and it had entered a restricted zone of the strait. Iran's foreign ministry had earlier said Tehran would "not go lightly" on US targets.

Brigadier General Ali Belali, adviser to the aerospace commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned that "if the enemy makes a mistake, Iran's response will be devastatingly severe." "We have improved our capabilities after the Ramadan war; weapons are secured for the years ahead," he added.

Araghchi blamed delays in talks on the aftermath of the US midterm election, in which the Democratic Party captured both chambers. "We must wait a while for conditions to develop for mediators to resume their journeys," he said.